Color Saban Red. Goin' to Bama.

[Southpaw]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2718488

After repeated denials, Saban takes Bama job
ESPN.com news services

Nick Saban has accepted an offer from Alabama to coach the Crimson Tide and left the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday, two weeks after declaring "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."

Nick Saban
Jeff Zelevansky/Icon SMI
Saban will return to the SEC, where he won a national championship with LSU .

Saban told team owner Wayne Huizenga of his intentions via telephone and then informed all of his coaches by speakerphone that he was leaving to accept the Alabama position, a source told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Alabama made its formal offer to Saban on Monday after rumors swirled for weeks that the Crimson Tide were pursuing the former LSU coach. The offer, believed to run from eight to 10 years, is worth $35 million to $40 million, and includes many variables, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Monday.

Saban had issued repeated denials that he was interested in coaching at Alabama, one of the most high-profile and high-pressure college coaching jobs in the country. He leaves the Dolphins with three years left on a deal worth approximately $4.5 million a year.

Alabama began looking for a coach after firing Mike Shula on Nov. 27. The Tide finished the season 6-7, losing to Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl.

On Tuesday, Saban asked for and recevied more time from Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga to make a decision.

Huizenga remained optimistic Tuesday that Saban would return to Miami, and gave him until 10 a.m. Wednesday to make a decision.

"I'm hoping he's leaning on staying," Huizenga was quoted as saying in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I like Nick a lot and hope he's going to stay. I'm not upset. You just have to play this thing through."

Huizenga has said he received repeated assurances from Saban late in the season that he would return in 2007. And Saban issued frequent public denials of interest in moving to Tuscaloosa, such as on Dec. 21, when he said: "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."

ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach and Len Pasquarelli contributed to this story.

Good riddance. Just a sour loser. Now he can go back and cheat his way to a MNC.

 

[Wild Card]

Wally:

Call for Pete Carroll... call for Pete Carroll... your job is waiting...

WC

 

[Pariah]

That sucks. Just one more franchise that we'll be competing for coaches with.

 

[az jam]

Wally:

Call for Pete Carroll... call for Pete Carroll... your job is waiting...

WC

They will pay him and give him the authorithy that he wants.

 

[SunCityCarl]

Nick Saban is one of the "richest" low lifes! I wish him & the Crimson Tide double digit loss seasons until Saban leaves. Up until a week ago he was saying "I am not going to coach Alabama" well I hope he likes the 40 million he gets! I wonder how his assistants at Miami are feeling right now... I'm sure he thought of them & they're families!

 

[Billy Flynt]

It is a shame that the story about him was that he was always an upfront guy and and always met face to face with coaches and players when he changed jobs. Now he pulls an "Irsay" and told his coaches via a conference call. No words how or if he contacted players.

 

[Renz]

I've always thought Saban was a jerk and he just keeps proving me right. Note to Bama: Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Southpaw]

What many people are pissed about is that he came into this organization with his ego and fired anyone he saw. Front office clerks included. No one escaped his ego. 2 years later those people are still gone and so is he. From his Christmas Day Press Conference when he came in, and his "rules of conduct" for the press, he just bullied his way through here, treating everyone like dirt. Now this dismantled team is a complete disaster. His legacy sucks.

 

[Southpaw]

It is a shame that the story about him was that he was always an upfront guy and and always met face to face with coaches and players when he changed jobs. Now he pulls an "Irsay" and told his coaches via a conference call. No words how or if he contacted players.

Wayne Huizenga had to drive over to Nick's house ( 2 blocks away ), this morning, to get his answer. No way in Hell was Nick going to be inconvenienced by anyone. I think Wayne learned a lesson on this one.

 

[Red Hawk]

That sucks. Just one more franchise that we'll be competing for coaches with.

Don't you know it.

 

[Wild Card]

They will pay him and give him the authority that he wants.

AJ:

Yes and yes. Huizenga has always been willing to spend money and has no interest in day-to-day operations. This job is tailor-made for a high-profile coach like Pete Carroll, who may care more about the owner he'll work for than the players he'll inherit. After all, the roster changes every year, but--as every Cardinals fan knows--ownership is forever.

WC

 

[Southpaw]

AJ:

Yes and yes. Huizenga has always been willing to spend money and has no interest in day-to-day operations. This job is tailor-made for a high-profile coach like Pete Carroll, who may care more about the owner he'll work for than the players he'll inherit. After all, the roster changes every year, but--as every Cardinals fan knows--ownership is forever.

WC

Since Saban wore 2 hats, the Dolphins will need a personnel guy.

Wayne asked the assistants and staff to stick around. Maybe he is considering Mularkey from within the organization.

 

[Russ Smith]

What many people are pissed about is that he came into this organization with his ego and fired anyone he saw. Front office clerks included. No one escaped his ego. 2 years later those people are still gone and so is he. From his Christmas Day Press Conference when he came in, and his "rules of conduct" for the press, he just bullied his way through here, treating everyone like dirt. Now this dismantled team is a complete disaster. His legacy sucks.

Yep, if you're going to operate that way at least stick it out longer than Saban did.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Yep.. How many jobs has Saban now said "I'm not leaving" only to turn around and take it later?

He did the same bs at Michigan State when he jumped to LSU and LSU when he jumped to the Dolphins.. Now this.

Nice credibility Nick..

Also, Wally the guy from Day One tried to make the Dolphins "His Team", from firing long tenured employees that had been with the organization since Shula's days to making certain all his players knew they were replacable commodities.

Let Alabama have him.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Since Saban wore 2 hats, the Dolphins will need a personnel guy.

Wayne asked the assistants and staff to stick around. Maybe he is considering Mularkey from within the organization.

Isn't Randy Mueller still the GM there?

 

[Gambit]

You must be registered for see images

"Some might cost a little; some might cost a lot; but I'm the Million Dollar Man, and you WILL be bought! HAHAHAHAHA!"

 

[Southpaw]

Isn't Randy Mueller still the GM there?

That is correct. maybe he will get the real job now. He was neutered by the Saban regime. He just filled out the paperwork for Nick.

 

[Southpaw]

This is official. Nick Saban had all of his assistants assembled in a conference room at Dolphin headquarters in Davie, FL, while he told them via speakerphone, from his house, that he had signed with Alabama. That was it. Done. Over with. Ya think any of them follow him to Tuscaloosa?

 

[Ed Burmila]

I've always thought Saban was a jerk and he just keeps proving me right. Note to Bama: Be careful what you wish for.

I never had a strong opinion about him (not a big LSU fan or anything) but he really seems like a jerk all the sudden. Just another name to throw on the pile of "big time" college coaches who accomplished absolutely nothing in the NFL.

In comparison to the last two (Spurrier and Saban), Butch Davis's tenure in Cleveland almost looks like a huge success!

 

[Renz]

This is official. Nick Saban had all of his assistants assembled in a conference room at Dolphin headquarters in Davie, FL, while he told them via speakerphone, from his house, that he had signed with Alabama. That was it. Done. Over with. Ya think any of them follow him to Tuscaloosa?

Wow! The guy couldn't even take the time to tell his own coaches face-to-face that he was leaving.

What a gutless douchebag.

 

[Lomax to Green 84]

He is becoming the Larry Brown of football. Every couple of years he moves to another organization. It's no lock that he excels at Alabama. I hated Saban when he was at Michigan State and still think he is a worm. He screwed them over bigtime when he bolted for LSU, screwed LSU when he went to Miami, and now has done it to Miami.

 

[bratwurst]

as every Cardinals fan knows--ownership is forever.

WC

I think that is screaming for a photoshop of a DeBeers ad.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Nice to have the balls to let your staff and team know you're leaving.

Nick Saban's a scumbag.

 

[Russ Smith]

Thought this was pretty funny on ESPN. The title won't come out but it said "the Lying Game" above this picture.